Overview of Tropical Cyclones in January 2015

Overview of Tropical Cyclones in January 2015

 

        One tropical cyclone occurred over the western North Pacific and the South China Sea in January 2015.

        Mekkhala formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 420 km east of Yap on the night of 13 January. Moving west-northwestwards, it developed into a tropical storm the next day. Mekkhala turned west to west-southwestwards on 15 and 16 January and continued to intensify, becoming a typhoon about 730 km east-southeast of Manila on the morning of 17 January and reaching peak intensity with an estimated sustained winds of 120 km/h near its centre. Mekkhala subsequently took on a northwesterly track across the Philippines and weakened gradually. It finally degenerated into an area of low pressure over the coastal waters off the east coast of Luzon on the morning of 19 January.